Japan

Daito Manabe came up with the "face visualizer" idea in his Tokyo kitchen. Webcam on, he wired his face up to a series of electrodes, put on some music, and let his facial muscles move to the rhythm. He then posted the face dance on YouTube. A few months and over a million hits later, and Daito is an international star. Read more and see the video...

A trio of French youths have given their country some bad press this week. Splashed all over Japanese TV, the tale of their stealing spree in a videogame store has caused something of a stir. Read more...

To publicise his donkey
meat, a butcher from Hunan
sent fake Japanese soldiers marching through the streets on asses. For once,
the Japanese and Chinese agree on something - that the stunt was anything but
funny. Read more...

Two Dutch youths were sentenced for
stealing virtual goods last week, while a Japanese piano player was jailed for
killing her virtual ex-husband. Real punishment for imaginary crimes? One of our
Observers who exists on Second Life says so should be it. Read more...

A new generation of vending
machines is out in Japan.
Fitted with a direct line to the police and CCTV, the flash machines don't just
serve coke, but combat crime at the same time. Not such a good idea, according
to one of our Observers in the country. Read more...

The online version of British publication The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that
an elderly-caring, human-like robot had been unveiled in Japan and was
set to be flying off the assembly line "within days". Yet one of the scientists who worked on "robogirl"
tells us that it was "unveiled" six years ago, and
has no chance of being mass produced for the next ten years.
Read more....

Nike Japan has bought a run down park in central Tokyo and renamed it the Nike Park.
The multinational supplier plans to build a skate park and cafe, introduce an
entrance fee, and kick out a group of homeless dwellers who live there in
shacks. Read more...

Millions of young men live their lives entirely on the Internet, unable
to leave the house in fear of human contact. In response to this troubled
niche, an entertainment company has come up with a possible cure. Videos of
girls that stare into the camera.... and occasionally saying good morning... Read more
and see the videos.